Job Discussion Forums

L00kingforwork · Joined: 15 Jun 2012 Posts: 25

Are there any decent ESL bookstores in HK? I did a google search and nothing came up (I'm in the mainland btw).

It would be great if anyone could put up some addresses/websites to the bookstores.

Perilla · Joined: 09 Jul 2010 Posts: 792 Location: Hong Kong

In short, no there aren't. So far as I know the best is probably the book shop at the British Council HK. Anyone else?

sistercream · Joined: 18 Dec 2010 Posts: 497 Location: Pearl River Delta

Haven't found any specialist places, but the general book shops I've found with the best selection of ESL stuff are Swindon's and the Causeway Bay branch of Page One.

Joshua2006 · Joined: 04 Jan 2010 Posts: 342

The selection is rubbish here in HK and would be a good business opportunity for someone with the right amount of coin. ESL books are needed all the way through and they simply aren't there...

oxi · Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 347 Location: elsewhere

There is also:-

Commercial Press,
New Lucky House, 13-15 Jordan Road, Jordan
next to Jordan mtr exit B

Not sure if any better than options above

Songbird · Posted: Wed Jul 17, 2013 1:12 am Post subject:

Dymocks (Aussie company) is in IFC on the 3rd floor near Apple, they have a few ESL books, mainly for kids (though I wasn't looking for adult stuff). There's also the bookstore in Harbour Plaza (near Star Ferry Pier) that has a sizeable collection of books, can't remember the name of it though.

sistaray · Joined: 25 Apr 2007 Posts: 82 Location: trumpland

Chanced upon this topic and thought I'd add what I know.

There's a pleasant little (and I mean *little* -- it's cramped) secondhand English bookstore called "Booksmart" on the 11th floor of a building on Des Voeux Road West, a couple minutes walk from the new Sai Ying Pun metro station. Link: http://www.booksmarthk.com/

Owing to their space constraints, their selection is limited, but there were a surprising (to my secondhand bookstore-deprived senses, at least) number of good finds. I've walked out with piles of books both times I've visited. Most stuff priced in the 20 - 60 HKD range.

The ESL section is a mixed bag ... lots of textbooks and primers apparently aimed toward middle- and high-school students in the UK or HK school system, but also a few dozen ESL texts too. It being a secondhand shop, you'll find the teacher's manual for text, but not the student book, or a workbook for another text filled with highlighting, etc. I snagged a clean copy of Cambridge press' "English Pronunciation in Use" last time I went. I didn't look very closely, but there appeared to be a few dozen children's English books as well.

If you're a used bookstore junky, it's well worth the visit. On the hunt for ESL goods, keep your expectations low and you might be surprised.